western med scuba

[deec]

We will be doing the Western Med 12/30 to 1/6 ...plan to dive Costa Maya, Belize, roatan and Cozumel...we are new divers so knowing water temps doesn't tell me a whole lot....what thickness if any wet suit will we need?

 

Also do you think we are being too ambitious to try and dive each place...how tired will we be...we are 56-14 years of age. Since we are new I have decide to do all ship excursions and that takes out one area of anxiety....finding the dive shop and then worrying about returning on time.

[cmdchiefthom]

I've done this itinerary a couple of times over New Years and found a 3mm one piece suit fairly comfortable. I think you'll do just fine with a suit of that thickness, plus its easy to pack. I know you'll absolutely love the dives!:D

[bruce-r]

We will be doing the Western Med 12/30 to 1/6 ...plan to dive Costa Maya, Belize, roatan and Cozumel...we are new divers so knowing water temps doesn't tell me a whole lot....what thickness if any wet suit will we need?

How can anyone but you possibly know your cold tolerance? Yes, I know you are new divers, but surely you must have some idea whether you are naturally warm blooded or cold blooded. If you get cold easily, like I do, then you will want at least a 3mm full suit and probably a beanie. If you don't get cold easily, then you might be OK with just a 2/3 mm shortie.

 

What kind of thermo protection did you use for your open water divers?

What was the water temp for those dives?

 

Also do you think we are being too ambitious to try and dive each place...how tired will we be...we are 56-14 years of age. Since we are new I have decide to do all ship excursions and that takes out one area of anxiety....finding the dive shop and then worrying about returning on time.

I think that if you stay with the ship's excursions, you could easily dive all four stops, but I would suggest that you skip Costa Maya and either just have a beach day in Mahahual or tour one of the Mayan ruins.

[scubaduba]

Most Dive shops associated with the ship your on will be waiting at the dock for you when you get off the ship. They will bring you to and from the dive shop/boat. If you book outside of the cruise usually they make arrangements to pick you up/ drop you off. Your energy level depends on your fitness level. Has a doctor cleared you for diving lately? I would get a physical including an EKG to make sure everything is ticking properly before you travel. You have to carry heavy tanks (on your back) weights, and dive gear. Knees and backs are something that most beginners overlook. Twisting a previously injured knee can kill the rest of your cruise. I agree with Bruce-r reguarding visiting some of the ruins. They are cool. Although I would recommend a full light wet suit (2.5-3mm) in case of unseen irritants. Sea lice, fire coral, ECT. Or a full skin depending on temps. Gloves, don't forget gloves. And your OWN booties. If you go with a full suit and you get hot you can always unzip it a little.:cool:

[bruce-r]

Gloves, don't forget gloves.

I hate to disagree, but you can definitely skip the gloves. They aren't allowed in Grand Cayman or Cozumel, and I personally don't think they are needed anyway.

[deec]

thanks, for the advice.

[river_sand_bar2]

Bruce, thanks for the comment on the gloves... I had just packed mine last night to take with me to Cozumel and Belize.... ha ha ha... guess I better take them back out. Leaves more room for underware :eek:

[Jacqueline]

Lets be a little more supportive people ! The guy is only in his fifties !

It is true that we all have a different tolerance for the cold.

I would need a 5mm that time of year. I was cold in a 3mm in March, as were some other women (we tend to get colder). One of them immediately bought a 3mm shorty to go over her 3mm full wetsuit.

It is a good idea to bring some warm clothes to wear in between dives and for the ride back. Bring a waterproof bag (even thought the boats have dry areas). Take a polarfleece (I kid you not) or other type of coverup. I could have sold mine for a hundred dollars last cruise. Once the water starts to evaporate off your skin, it is easy to get a chill. It was raining so hard and was so windy when I was diving in Grenada, that they advised us to wear our googles in between dives to keep the driving rain off them as it was literally stinging.

I would recommend that you bring at least you own mask and wetsuit. By the time you rent 3 ill fitting ones you will be better off. They can also be used to snorkel as they provide protection from the sun.Unless the water temp is 98degrees, your body will be loosing heat. It is why all the DM tend to wear more thermal protection than those vacationing.

I must say, I dont get the point of a shortie.

And there is no reason to get an ekg. If you are cleared to dive you can dive.In terms of carrying heavy tanks, a 80cuft aluminum is not a heavy tank. As a 48 yr old woman I could easy carry/wear two at a time.And on a boat dive, the long walk is a few steps. They set up all the equipment for you. So there is no real strenuous work involved.

 

New divers tend to be safe and stay within their limits. If you need a checkout dive and are stopping in St Thomas, you can do a nice beach dive at Coki beach to get your weighting right and practice your skills. If not, see if you can arrange to get into a pool before you leave with rented equipment. You will feel much more comfortable and at ease. Your dive shop can help you with this- they are usually more than happy to help as they want to keep you diving!

Stick with the cruise ship excursions and don't forget to Have fun!

[cmdchiefthom]

OMG, you guys are scaring the Sh--- out of this guy. He's going diving in the Caribbean in January, and we're analyizing it like he's ice diving in Alaska!: I know we all have egos, but in this case it seems to be pretty simple, not a diagonstic exercise in diving theory.

 

deec, a three mil suit will probably do just fine. You might find that there are suggestions for a dry suit, a farmer john, etc., but in reality, the average ocean tempreature in the areas you mentioned in January is close to 80 degrees, depending on the specific area. If you're SHOREX diving, your exposure will be the absolute minimum bottom time. You and your child go ahead and enjoy, and concentrate on the SCUBA basics you learned, but especially, what you're going to experience and see:D

[Jacqueline]

I was thinking the same thing.... But it is good to have some dry clothes for in between dives, esp if diving everyday.

And I will say that last spring when I was in St Kitts and the poor DM was huddled in the boat trying to keep warm. He was Canadian and used to dive the Great Lakes. He actually told me that if he had a dry suit, he would wear one ! So there.

For the record, I did wear a 5mm in Bermuda this summer.

 

Diving is more fun when you are warm !

[deec]

I wasn't offended by those that jumped on me for the question...I used a 2/3 mm for Jamaica last winter for our open water cert dives...but was a little cold in Mexico in March...I now have a thermometer on my simple computer so I will be better able to know myself. We purchased 5mm and caps for our November trip to the Galapogos snorkeling as we already have been advised of the chill factor there!

 

Always take a fleece for between dives...works even better than a sweatshirt...and we never forget the jolly ranchers to share!!!

 

We go to the gym 3-4/week...so I can carry the tank!

 

but I am new and still nervous! but will have an amazing time!

 

thanks again for all you support

[bruce-r]

Always take a fleece for between dives...works even better than a sweatshirt...and we never forget the jolly ranchers to share!!!

You'd be an asset to any boat dive.

 

I used a 2/3 mm for Jamaica last winter for our open water cert dives...but was a little cold in Mexico in March...I now have a thermometer on my simple computer so I will be better able to know myself.

Based on what you describe, you might be warm enough in the 2/3 shorty if you wear the beanie too. That way you wouldn't have to buy another suit. A 3mm full with the beanie would probably be better. If you already have 5mm suits, you might consider taking them. You probably wouldn't need the beanie and you already own them. You will definitely need more weight with the 5mm suit.

 

I bought a 4/5mm full suit for last December in Cozumel. It was fantastic. I was toasty warm on all the dives and even during the SI on the boat. The previous year I was uncomfortably cool at the end of the second dives during December in Cozumel. For the record, I have never been too warm during a dive, even with a 3mm full in 85f temperature water. I have definitely been cold, very cold during a dive, but I'll save that for another post ;) If you are interested, ask about "Quadra".

 

One last thing. While I do agree with your choice to go with the ship's excursions in Belize and Roatan, I think you would be better off going with a small private operator in Cozumel. Many operators have smaller, faster boats that take only 6-8 divers, often times less. I think that you would have an over all better time if you made your own arrangements.

 

Some operators I'd recommend are:

Blue XT Sea Diving Christi, the owner, provides excellent customer service and is a really nice person, and her DM's are great. I've used her services several times and was always satisfied.

 

Scuba with Alison Is highly recommended and when Christi is full, she sends customers to Alison.

 

Scuba Tony is also someone I'd consider diving with.

 

Eagleray Divers also gets recommended here on cruisecritic, and they might be a good choice for you. Personally, I probably wouldn't use them just because they have have a larger, slower boat, but that is just my personal preference.

 

I believe that all these operators do their surface interval at one of the beach clubs. Blue XT Sea's SI is 1 1/2 hours, so you'd have time to eat if you wanted. If you stop at Playa Palancar, the fish tacos are quite good. MMmmm.

 

There are about 70 more dive shops in Cozumel if the one's I list don't work for you.

 

If you do make your own arrangements, be sure to tell the DM your experience level. They will be able to make a better recommendation as to which dive site to dive. You wouldn't want to do some of the advanced sites , but most of the easy and even some of the intermediate sites will be great, especially compared to the diving you did in Jamaica.

[deec]

Do you know if the private dive operators will pick us up at the cruise terminal? we are in Coz long enough that missing the boat won't be a problem. but we are 6 divers and finding transportation to a dive shop and back might be a problem with all our gear.

 

Do these private companies have rental equipment that is safe, reliable and in good repair as my sister and kids do not have own equipment?

 

thanks for the recommendations.